The present disclosure relates generally to tomography systems and, more specifically, to a frame for supporting a plurality of tomography devices.
Computed tomography (CT) scanners have been used for over twenty-five years, primarily as medical diagnostic aids. A CT scanner may create a two-dimensional cross-sectional image of a patient by rotating one or more X-ray sources and detectors about a patient in a fixed axial position, irradiating the patient with X-rays, detecting radiation scattered by the patient""s body, and computing an image from the scattering data. By incrementing the axial position and combining the resulting series of two-dimensional cross-section images, a CT scanner may assemble a three-dimensional image of a patient.
Typically, many of the components of a CT scanner are supported by an annular gantry having inner and outer rings. The gantry""s outer ring is secured to a stand and the inner ring is mounted for rotation within the outer ring. Many of the components of the CT scanner, including X-ray source(s) and detector(s), high voltage power supply, a data acquisition module, and balancing weights, may be mounted to the inner ring of the gantry for rotation therewith. During a scanning procedure, a patient table is positioned through the center of the gantry and the X-ray source and detector are rotated about the table along with the inner ring. The X-ray source supplies energetic particles that penetrate the patient and are scattered by the patient""s body into appropriately positioned detectors. The CT scanner analyzes the scattering information to compute a corresponding cross-sectional anatomical image.
A more recently developed imaging procedure, positron emission tomography (PET), employs radiation detectors arranged in a ring. An annular gantry typically supports the ring of detectors. In order to image a patient the patient is injected with a radioactive isotope that emits positrons and is positioned within the annular gantry. The detectors, referred to as scintillators, sense the emitted positrons. From energy, location, and time information gathered by the scintillators, the PET scanner may produce 3-dimensional images that reflect a quantization of physiochemical processes in the patient""s body.
A variety of imaging results, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, PET, and CT results may be combined, by superimposing images for example, to take advantage of particular benefits of each procedure. At the same time, the combined imagery provides a more comprehensive view of anatomical and related physiochemical processes within a given patient.
The mass and bulk of any such imaging devices render them unwieldy at best and cumbersome at worst. Providing access to their constituent components for maintenance and repair presents a major obstacle to the efficient operation of such machines. Furthermore, any combination of such imaging devices, for example, a combined CT/PET scanner, only exacerbates the access difficulties. A system and method for providing ready access to tomographic equipment would therefore be highly desirable.
A frame in accordance with the principles of the present invention is configured to support a plurality of gantries such as those that may house tomographic equipment. The frame includes a movable support that permits at least one of the supported gantries to be moved relative to another of the supported gantries and to thereby provide ready access to tomography equipment housed by one or more of the gantries. Such access is particularly advantageous for the maintenance and repair of the tomography equipment.
In an illustrative embodiment, the frame includes a linear guide that supports at least one gantry. The plurality of gantries supported by the frame may be arranged along a longitudinal axis, so that a patient may be positioned for simultaneous scanning by the plurality of tomographic device supported by the gantries. The linear guide may include a linear race, ball bushing bearings, or a shaft rail assembly, for example. In such an embodiment at least one of the gantries may be translated along the linear guide in the direction of the longitudinal axis in order to thereby separate two or more gantries. The separation thus provided between the gantries may provide access to components housed by one or more of the separated gantries. In an embodiment in which one or more of the gantries tilts to provide access to tomographic equipment housed by the gantry, the separation provided by motion along the linear guide provides room for the tilting of one or more of the gantries.
Although the gantries may support a variety of tomographic equipment, an illustrative embodiment includes one CT scanner and one PET scanner gantry. In this embodiment, the frame includes a base, a first stand fixed to the base for supporting a first of the gantries, and a second stand movably mounted on the base for supporting a second of the gantries. The second stand and the second gantry can thus be moved away from the first stand and the first gantry to increase access to the gantries. The frame may include a retractable extension that can be pulled out of the base of the frame to allow the movable stand to be moved further from the fixed stand.